LII Backgrounder on Terrorism Law

terrorism defined...

...violent acts or acts dangerous to
human life that are a violation of the criminal laws of the United States
or of any State, or that would be a criminal violation if committed
within the jurisdiction of the United States or of any State; and appear
to be intended to intimidate or coerce a civilian population; to influence
the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or to affect
the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping.

The Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing
Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA
PATRIOT) Act of 2001 (HR 3162) was signed into law by President Bush
on October 26, 2001. The USA PATRIOT Act increased
the surveillance and investigative powers of law enforcement agencies
to detect and deter acts of terrorism in the United States or against
the United States' interests abroad. The Act was introduced and passed
quickly, without a House, Senate, or conference report, which most likely
contributed to the emergence of recent challenges to the act on civil
liberty grounds.